The dark wood around him was more oppressive than ever. He did not have the strength to move any part of his body, if he could even feel any part. The pain had been the greatest when he had first been torn open, but in just minutes it went beyond something he could register as pain. And now…it was so cold.

Kun was dying. He was dying. He was alone, all alone, and dying. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He had escaped. He had brought the others to where he had been told. He had done his part, it wasn’t his fault they weren’t ready, that the crazy dwarf had charged off ahead, that things hadn’t gone right. Things had gone all wrong, but it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t deserve this. No one deserved this. Alone and dying and left to be eaten by the scavengers of the forest.

Kun could see those eyes, and he thought at times they were all around them. He could not turn his head to look and see, but they would flash at him from out of the corner of his eye, and he could feel them boring into him. Just as those claws had into his gut…

He heard footsteps again, and when he couldn’t breathe for a moment he thought this was the end. But his eyes saw a figure and his ears heard a scream. And then it was gone and though he could breathe again Kun barely choked out any words. “Come back, come back…come back!”

He did not think he had enough energy left to do so, but he began to cry. He was dying. They’d all leave him for dead. Did they know? It didn’t matter. He would be dead before any others came upon him. It was so close now. Why did he want to see them anyway? Why did he want them to see him? But he did not want to be alone. He cried because he was still afraid – because it was cold, it was dark, and he was dying.